Harris County honored Mike Anderson, the former Harris County District Attorney who lost his battle with cancer on Aug. 31, by renaming the STAR (Success Through Addiction Recovery) Court courtroom after him on Dec. 17. It’s now the Mike Anderson Memorial Courtroom. Anderson, who took office as DA on Jan. 1, is a former STAR Court judge. He was a Harris County assistant DA for 17 years and a district court judge for 12 years. The STAR Drug Court Program provides non-violent, repeat drug offenders with treatment. According to a press release from the Harris County DA’s office, currently 144 defendants are participating in the program and more than 400 have graduated since 2003. At a dedication ceremony, where a portrait of Anderson was unveiled, 262nd Judge Denise Bradley, one of the Harris County judges with a STAR docket, said there is no better way to honor Anderson than by naming the courtroom after him because he got “great joy” from his work in STAR court. “He was an absolute sucker for a happy ending,” Bradley said to a packed courtroom. “He always had words of encouragement and he always, always made people think they could do it.” In September, Gov. Rick Perry appointed Anderson’s widow, Devon, to succeed him as DA.
Construction Time Again
Starting in 2014, there’s a new resource for Texas lawyers who practice construction law. The Construction Law Foundation of Texas will host educational events, update attorneys about legislation and engage in charitable giving, according to an announcement by the State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section. The Section’s officers will also lead the foundation. The foundation will run the section’s annual conference and other educational events. Revenue from those events will support the foundation’s other efforts. “The Foundation’s future activities will help assure that revenues generated through the hard work and financial contributions of construction law practitioners who support the educational programs and events will be used to achieve maximum benefit to those in the construction law and construction industry communities for many years to come,” said the Dec. 6 announcement. The announcement added that section leaders are particularly “excited” about the foundation’s “independence to be governed and directed” by the section. Section chair Matthew Ryan, partner in Allensworth & Porter in Austin, and vice-chairman William Sommers of The Gardner Law Firm in San Antonio, each didn’t return a telephone call or email seeking comment.
